The vast amount of data held by retailers and credit card companies has been the preserve of companies large enough to employ boffins to manage it. The rise of social networks and the enormous amount of freely available behavioural data, known as big data, has the potential to turn the industry upside down. Are there really trends any more, or have we seen the death of the mega-trend as interests fragment between groups that can easily form using social technologies?

An expert panel will showcase the possibilities that the data provides for the fashion business.

1pm-2pm – Lunchtime & Fashion Startup Showcase

Social media has given fashion consumers the platform to voice their opinion whether it’s positive or negative. Who should companies be listening to? Is it the obvious: editors, fashion bloggers and trendsetters or are there different tribes?

How will the next generation of more visual social networks and apps re-define the relationship between customers, designers and retailers? Does this spell the end of the catwalk? Will online retailers dominate the offline world, or even start their own bricks’n’mortar adventures? Ponder the future, come along and join the discussion.